November 26, 2018

Got Guests?

Hi friends!  Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the bend.  I don’t know about you, but for us that means holiday guests.  We have a small home, so making room for guests is a challenge.  Being an excellent host or hostess requires providing your guests with all of the comforts of home away from home.  We do not have a designated guest room, so having guests usually means making our existing rooms that will house guests more comfortable.

Space-saving tricks such as a trundle bed or other small comforts such as a cozy throw and a candle can do the trick.  If you have the space, adding a reading nook with a chair and reading light is a definitely plus.  Another finishing touch is a bedside water carafe for your guests.  Nothing is worse being up in the middle of the night searching in someone’s kitchen for a glass of water!

Online retailer Joss and Main has everything you could possibly need for your home, including finds for the guest room.  You can shop my guest room essentials below.


Chunky Throw
This Throw//
More Blankets & Throws
Lap Tray
This Lap Tray//
More TV Trays
Quilt Set
This Quilt Set//
More Quilt Sets
Throw Pillow
This Throw Pillow//
More Pillows

Writing Desk
This Desk//
More Desks
Desk Lamp
This Lamp//
More Desk Lamps
Armchair
This Armchair//
More Accent Chairs
Carafe Set
This Carafe Set//
More Drink & Beverage Dispensers

Candle
This Candle//
More Candles
Daybed with Trundle
This Daybed//
More Daybeds
Turkish Hand Towel Set
This Towel Set//
More Bath Towels
Turkish Hand Towel
This Hand Towel//
More Hand Towels

Vanity Tray
This Tray//
More Decorative Trays
Luggage Rack
This Luggage Rack//
More Luggage Racks
Sheepskin Rug
This Sheepskin Rug//
More Area Rugs
Laundry Hamper
This Hamper//
More Laundry Hampers & Baskets

Alarm Clock
This Alarm Clock//
More Table Clocks
Blackout Curtains
This Blackout Curtain Panel//
More Curtains & Drapes
Personalized Soap
This Soap//
More Bath Items
Faux Floral Arrangement
This Faux Floral Arrangement//
More Faux Plants

 

Having these essentials in place can make the holidays go much smoother.  Do you have any tips for hosting guests for the holidays?  Please share in the comments.  Happy Holidays!!

xo

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Filed Under: Decor Steals, Decorating, Seasonal Decorating, Shopping, Uncategorized //
November 19, 2018

Favorite Interior Design Books

Hi Friends!  Sorry I have been absent lately.  The hecticness of life has just taken over.  I am hoping to post a bit more frequently in the coming months.  I have a holiday home tour I am working on behind the scenes, so stay tuned for a holiday home tour!  I the meantime, I thought I would post a roundup of my favorite interior design books.  These make wonderful coffee table books or gifts for the design lover in your life.

First up is new book published this  year by blogger turned interior designer Paloma Contreras.  She is seriously my design girl crush.  She demonstrates that it is possible to quit your day job and pursue your passion.  Paloma used to be a high school Spanish teacher!  Her new book Dream, Design , Live is chalk full of inspiration and practical advice.

Who does not love black and white as a classic combination?

The king of blue and white Mark D. Sikes.

This book is just so lovely and also gives very interesting detail on Aerin and her relationship with Estee

Interior designer and blogger Erin Gates first book is a must have.

This beautiful and elegant book is on my coffee table right now!

This book is photographed in vignettes all over Pinterest.

The first book by the editors of Domino magazine is part eye candy and part practical advice.  It is a must read.

These are a few of my favorites.  Any you have on your list?  Luckily, new design books come out all the time.  Hello Amazon wish list.

Have a great week and safe travels if you are traveling for Thanksgiving.

xo,

 

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Filed Under: Decorating, Designers, Gifts, Home Decor, Interior Design, Uncategorized //
September 24, 2018

Gwyneth Paltrow’s New Collection for CB2

Hi friends.  Happy Monday.  I was just looking at the CB2 catalog over the weekend and apparently now Gwyneth, the actress, singer, lifestyle guru can add decorator to her repertoire.  Her popular lifestyle brand Goop now has a collection for CB2.

It had me at peacock.  I love peacocks!

The lines are a bit modern for me and some of the designs a bit impractical for living with kids, but it is all unique and feminine.  Here are a few of my favorites.

The line of accessories is very beautiful and curated.


What do you think?  Perfectly chic or too modern?  Or do you love it just because Gwyneth can do no wrong??

Until next time . . .

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Filed Under: Decorating, Designers, Home Decor, Interior Design, New Collections, Shopping, Uncategorized //
September 14, 2018

2018 Fall Home Tour

Hello friends both old and new.  Marty at A Stroll Thru Life has done it again and has a team of 30 bloggers ready to show you their homes decked out for Fall. If you are heading over from Alicia at Thrifty & Chic– Welcome!  Doesn’t Alicia have the most amazing DIY ideas?

If you are new here, I’m Jennifer – a Human Resources consultant by day and a design enthusiast and blogger in the wee hours of the night!  Our family recently purchased our dream home that we rented for 3 years, so are so excited to fix it up and make it our own one room at a time. Bye bye beige walls and hello color!  You will see what I mean when you tour my daughter’s new room!

I don’t normally do too much fall decorating.  Maybe it is because my birthday is in October and growing up I disliked orange and brown, and those were always the featured colors for my special month.  There are also some elements of my tour that are not per se fall, but I am so excited I wanted to show them to you anyway!  First off, we remodeled our kitchen and I am in love.  Second, I made over my daughter’s room.  I hope you enjoy and find inspiration in them even if they are not screaming fall.

So, let’s start the tour.  Starting first with our porch.  I was tickled pink when Trader Joe’s had pumpkins last week.  It is still soo hot here in Northern California, I was not sure if I could track down any real pumpkins.  This is about as fall as I get with our outdoor decor.  My girls are dying to have a graveyard and corpses for Halloween but it is sooo not me.

In the dining room, I went with rustic elements.  Eucalyptus just screams fall to me and I had these fun antlers to play into the rustic/glam vibe.

To the living room I just added some soft florals and added some new pillows.  I was so happy to find these pastel pumpkin pillows at HomeGoods. Orange and brown just do not go with the softer tones in my home.

To me nothing says fall like soup!  Our breakfast nook is where all of our cozy meals take place.  I adore these little lionhead soup bowls I found at Target.  I think they are a Williams-Sonoma knock-off.  I also used our vintage soup tureen to hold our fall-hued flowers.

Now here come the not so fall, but new spaces.  First  up is our kitchen.  We recently did a refresh by redoing the counter tops, backs plash, sink and appliances.

I will have a full post on it soon, but we went with Quartz counter tops that look alot like marble and beveled subway tile.  I am also giddy to report that I now have a deep farmhouse sink.  I was always sooo jealous of all of those Instagram photos of beautiful sinks with flowers haphazardly arranged (aka totally styled) in them.  Bam!  Take that social media.  I am now a flower in the sink kinda gal 🙂

 

Another one of my favorite features is doing one section of the back splash in this herringbone pattern.  Our floors are hardwood in a herringbone pattern, so I didn’t want to go crazy up top, but I didn’t want it to look boring either.  I think this small vignette is a compromise.

A few white pumpkins bring in a touch of fall.

Fall flowers were a bit sparse in our stores, so I went with the bounty of the season to display on our counter tops.

I also made over my daughter’s room and bit the bullet by wallpapering it in a wallpaper I have loved for years.  It is bold and bright and totally me!

So that’s it.  I hope you found some inspiration for fall and for seasons to come. Up next is Kristy at Starfish Cottage.  Her chic coastal style is not to be missed.  You can also find the full line up below.

Monday, Sept. 10th   

 A Stroll Thru Life  | Nesting With Grace  | Pink Peppermint Design  

Southern Hospitality | Decor To Adore | Cuckoo4Design 

Tuesday, Sept. 11

  ZDesign At Home  | Duke ManorFarm  | Setting For Four      

Simple Stylings  | Seeking Lavender Lane | Life On Virginia Street 

                                                                                          Wed. Sept 12

Our FifthHouse | Our Southern Home | Clean & Scentsible 

House By Hoff |  Follow The Yellow Brick Home 

 Remodelando La Casa 

Thurs. Sept 13

Inspiration For Moms | Life Love Larson |  Monica Wants It

Haneens Haven | My Sweet Savannah |  11 Magnolia Lane  

Friday, Sept. 14

Thrifty & Chic | Decorating Delirium  

 Starfish Cottage | Thistlewood Farm 

                                      Hymns & Verses | Far Above Rubies 

Until next time  . . .

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Filed Under: Decorating, Home Decor, Home Tours, Interior Design, Our Home, Seasonal Decorating, Uncategorized //
September 9, 2018

Sneak Peek of Charlotte’s Bedroom Makeover

Hi friends!!  I have an exciting preview to show you of Charlotte’s bedroom makeover.  I posted here about what I had dreamed up.  Only thing holding me up was the wallpaper which was quite expensive, once you included installation.  I can DIY a lot of things, but everything I had read said NOT to DIY wallpaper!

Well guys, I bit the bullet and did it.  Here are some quick preview photos.  I still have a ton of details to put into place like new curtains and curtain hardware, a new area rug and I need to hang the art.  In fact, as I look at these photos, the curtains and curtain rods drive me CRAZY!!  I have brass and acrylic rods on the way that I bought on sale Labor Day weekend at Ballard Designs.

Since the pattern on the wallpaper was pretty busy, I tried to keep the other elements in the room simple.  I got her new crisp, white sheets from California Design Den.  They are a classic percale sheet made with organic cotton.  I have washed them several times and they truly get softer with each wash.

My motto is everything is always better monogrammed, so this euro Matouk pillow case was monogrammed in the same pink hue as the wallpaper.

Here is some of the art I have chosen that still needs to be hung.

I wrote here about making over this vintage cane chair.  I am pretty sure I will never attempt to re-cane anything again!  The end result was beautiful, though.

I found this vintage pagoda lamp on Ebay which pairs perfectly with the wallpaper.

Here is one of the art pieces, which will probably be propped up on the wall for the next year.

So there it is.  It is big and bold and no one will ever want to buy our home should we sell it.  But I don’t care.  I love it and that is what creating a home that is uniquely “you” is all about.  I secretly have to admit that I now want to switch rooms with my 9 year old.  Have you decorated recently with wallpaper?  If so, did you go bold or for a more neutral pattern?

Until next time . . .

 

 

 

California Design Den provided the sheets for my review.  All opinions, as always are my own.

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Filed Under: Decorating, Home Decor, Home Tours, Interior Design, Our Home, The Money Pit, Uncategorized //
September 1, 2018

Mixing High and Low Using Vintage Designer Furniture

One of my favorite decorating tips for decorating on a budget is mixing high and low decor.  Pulling in older, vintage pieces definitely helps give a space a collected look.  Luckily, for  everyday design enthusiasts, there are now abundant sources for sourcing such vintage treasures and one-of-a-kind antiques.  Now everyone has access to pre-owned vintage and designer furniture that is curated.  No more searching high and low through estate sales or on Craigslist for rare finds.

Here are a few items I found when searching for designer items at a fair price.  I have been having a major love affair with burl wood the last few years.  This dresser foots the bill.  The wood has so much depth and character.   Viyet- French Louis Philippe Fall Front Burl Secretary

If you have been reading the blog for a while, you know my deep obsession with all things Chinoserie.  These framed Chinoserie wallpaper panels had me at “hello.”  If you can’t afford custom Chinoserie wallpaper from floor to ceiling, framed panels are the way to go.  It has the same effect without the hit to your budget.  https://www.onekingslane.com/p/4774042-henredon-faux-bamboo-mirrors-pair.do

This antique Oushak rug would be amazing in a feminine space.  This would be beyond chic in a little bagy girl nursery.

One Kings Lane- Antique Turkish Oushak Rug

These Chinese Chippendale mirrors are close to my heart.  I have a set in a different color.  Although seeing them in glossy black is marking me want to switch things up.  These retail for a pretty penny.  I don’t want to brag, but mine came from an estate sale where they just threw them in with a dresser I purchased.

One Kings Lane - Henredon Faux-Bamboo Mirrors

This coffee table makes more than a statement.  You can’t find this in any design/decor catalog.  I am a huge lover of brass and glass.

Everything But the House Figural Brass and Glass Coffee Table

 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that bar carts have been hugely popular in the last few years.  Almost any home decor retailer sells them.  So, why not make a statement with yours and go with a vintage faux bamboo bar cart?   I promise your next party will be better for it.

Viyet- Brass Faux Bamboo Service Cart

 

Having easy access to online marketplaces has saved me so much time in my hunt for the perfect pieces for my home.  Do you have any secret sources for vintage or designer furniture.  Please do tell in the comments.  Like I need one more place to shop!

Until next time . . .

 

 

 

**This post was sponsored by Nakturnal.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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Filed Under: Decorating, Interior Design, Online Sources, Uncategorized, Vintage // Tagged With: ,
August 16, 2018

Designer Spotlight: Sarah Bartholomew

Hi friends!  Boy are you in for a treat with this designer spotlight.  I have followed Sarah Bartholomew for years after I saw her home in a Better Homes & Gardens spread.  And then just the other day, I was looking at the Pottery Barn catalog and I saw that Sarah Bartholomew has curated a new collection for PB.

Here are some examples of her work,  It is classic and traditional style with modern twists added in.  For example, below the console, lantern, pottery and chairs are pretty traditional, but the fun and bold batik patter wallpaper makes it all so modern and fresh.

Sarah really has the blue, white and green combo down pat.  The feminine pattern and details on this sofa are perfection!

I love the repeat of the pattern on the headboard, drapes and pillows.

I would do laundry in this room all day!

The wood paneling in this room might feel heavy without all of the crisp blue and green surrounding it.

I would be a guest in this beautiful guest room any time.

Here are a few items I am loving from Sarah’s collection at Pottery Barn.

I am seeing a big trend in wicker and canning lately.  I recently re-canned a chair, so I am feeling quite on trend.

Hope you are having a lovely week!

xoxo,

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Filed Under: Decorating, Designers, Interior Design, New Collections, Uncategorized //
August 1, 2018

Storage Solutions: Skirted Tables

Hi friends!  We are on vacation this week, but I am trying to get in some extra posts on the blog since I have a little extra time to do what I love!

As some of you may know, for my day job, I work as a Human Resources Consultant.  My job is wonderful and flexible, and I get to work from home.  The one problem, however, is that I do not have a home office.  So, all of my files, my printer, etc. are in my bedroom.  NOT the ideal setting for where the majority of relaxation is supposed to take place.

I have done a ton of searching for the perfect small desk that would fit in our bedroom.  The only problem is that the desks that would fit, did not have much storage.  So, I have been exploring the idea of just using a round table with a custom tablecloth similar to those below.

I primarily work at our breakfast nook table, so it would primarily be used  for storage, not for a  work space.  I am thinking I could store my printer and files underneath it??

Or, I could also do a skirted console table like these.  Although I might be pretty hard pressed to fit a printer under a table this size.

Do any of you work from home?  How do you keep that work/home balance?  What are your best storage solutions?

Until next time . . .

 

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Filed Under: Decorating, DIY, Home Decor, Interior Design, Uncategorized // Tagged With:
July 30, 2018

Nursery Crushes

In the world of design, there is nothing more fun or sweet that designing a nursery.  I know that personally for me, it was the most fun and special room I ever got to work on.  Alas, there will be no more babies in our family nor nurseries to design.  That apparently does not stop images of designer nurseries from popping up in my Pinterest feed.  So needless to say that nurseries are on the brain over here.

Here are some of my favorites.  I tend to find that those using wallpaper are the most chic and striking.

Wallpapering a ceiling has such an impact.  This would be darling for a baby boy.

This nursery from the San Francisco Decorators Showcase almost broke the internet.  The lattice, the matching wallpaper and curtains, and the brass and lucite crib are just pure perfection.

The symmetry of this feminine nursery is so elegant and calming.

This room demonstrates pattern play at its best.  The fabric and curtains are not a pairing I would immediately be drawn to, but I definitely works.

I have a major crush on all things Chinoserie and this dreaming nursery is no exception.  I am doing a similar wallpaper with a bit more color in my daughter’s bedroom.

There are no words to describe this nursery.  The curtains, the wallpaper, the crib, the art, oh my!

What was your  favorite part of designing or decorating a nursery?  Was it hard to convert it to a big girl or big boy room?  I am hoping to add an e-design feature to the blog soon.  If so, I would love to see some nursery inquiries.

Until  next time.

xo,

 

 

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July 14, 2018

My Weekend Project

Hi friends!  It has been a while since I have done a hard core DIY project.  This weekend, I am working on re-caning a chair.  A ways back a friend of mine gifted me this lovely faux bamboo barrel chair for free.  Only problem was it had a huge rip in the middle of the seat.  Here it is below with the hole strategically covered by a throw.

 

Here is the chair in its present glory.

I called around everywhere trying to find someone who could fix it for me with no luck.  So, I found this site on Etsy that sells re-caning kits.  According to the instructions, the hardest part is removing the old seat.  Apparently, it takes quite a bit of elbow grease to remove the old binding and glue from the seat.  I may have to enlist the hubs.  I am sure he will be thrilled.

At the end of the day, I hope to paint them and have them looking like some of the gorgeous chairs below.  I may eventually opt to add a cushion.

So, if all goes well, I will have a before and after to share with you soon.  I miss doing these kind of projects, but they are just so time consuming.  These days all of our weekends are filled with soccer and swimming.

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

 

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Filed Under: Decorating, DIY, Our Home, Uncategorized // Tagged With: ,
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